Tooth cleaning appliance and methods of manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

A tooth cleaning appliance comprising a length of dental floss, a finger loop or band at each end thereof providing convenient and confortable means for gripping the floss, and a removable cover surrounding the floss prior to use for sanitarily protecting the floss. A series of these appliances constituting a unit package are joined together in side-by-side relation in such manner that one appliance at a time may be readily removed therefrom. Methods of this invention set forth steps for economically and easily manufacturing unit packages of tooth cleaning appliances.

United States Patent [191 Wesley 3,802,445 Apr. 9, 1974 [76] Inventor: Wallace M. Wesley, 10039 Lincoln Tr., Fairview Heights, 111. 62208 [22] Filed: Sept. 6, 1972 [21] App]. No.: 286,809

[52] U.S. Cl. 132/89 [51] Int. Cl. -A61c 15/00 [58] Field of Search 132/89, 91, 92, 93; 206/635, 56 AB [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,522,794 9/1950 Medof 132/ 93 2,162,240 6/1939 Boldusoff 132/91 756,806 4/1904 Stolte et a1 206/29 2,083,398 6/1937 Rohland 132/91 TOOTH CLEANING APPLIANCE AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING SAME Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Gregory E. McNeill Attorney, Agent, or FirmKoenig, Senninger, Powers and Leavitt 5 7] ABSTRACT A tooth cleaning appliance comprising a length of dental floss, a finger loop or band at each end thereof providing convenient and confortable means for gripping the floss, and a removable cover surrounding the floss prior to use for sanitarily protecting the floss. A series of these appliances constituting a unit package are joined together in side-by-side relation in such manner that one appliance at a time may be readily removed therefrom. Methods of this invention set forth steps for economically and easily manufacturing unit packages of tooth cleaning appliances.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures SHEET 3 BF 3 PATENTEU APR 9 974 TOOTH CLEANING APPLIANCE AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING SAME BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION This invention relatesto a tooth cleaning appliance, and is especially concerned with such an appliance utilizing dental floss for cleaning between the teeth.

Dental practitioners teach their patients to practice good personal oral hygiene habits thereby to reduce both tooth decay and gum diseases. In addition to regular visits to the dentist, proper brushing and the regular use of dental floss are the cornerstones of most oral hygiene programs. The regular use of dental floss is particularly important because food particles and bacterial plaque not ordinarily removed from the teeth by brushing are thus cleaned from between the teeth before they harden and form deposits on and between the teeth. These deposits serve as a culture medium for decay and disease causing bacteria.

Dental floss is conventionally sold on'spools from which a length of floss must be severed for use. The lengthof floss is wrapped about the usersfingers with a short length of floss therebetween, and is then manipulated between the teeth. Users, however, often must wrap the floss tightly about their fingers to prevent slippage as they manipulate it to clean between their teeth. This tight wrapping of thefloss about the fingers sometimes causes discomfort to the user. Because the hand movements required to wrap the floss about the fingers and to manipulate it between the teeth are sometimes difficult to learn, dentists or dental technicians must spend considerable time in teaching the proper use of dental floss to children and other unexperienced users. Because the regular use ofdental floss is bothersome, many people do not continue to regularly use dental floss after they have been instructed in its use.

Reference may be made to such US. Pat. Nos. as 1,559,320 and 2,612,177 showing tooth cleaning devices in. the same general field as thepresent invention.

SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a tooth'cleaning appliance utilizing dental floss for cleaning between the teeth in which finger loops'or bands are provided for enabling a user comfortably to grip the appliance and to manipulate the floss between the teeth; the provision of such an appliance whichmay be readily dispensed from a package for use; the provision of such an appliance which makes the use of dental floss more attractive to children and adults attempting to establish good .oral hygiene habits; the provision of such an appliance which aids dentists and dental technicians in teaching proper oral hygiene habits to their patients; the provision of such an appliance in which the floss is sanitarily protected until it is ready for use; the provision of the method of manufacturing a unit package of said appliance in a rapid and economical manner. Other objects and features of this invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In general, a tooth cleaning appliance of this invention comprises a length of dental floss and a pair of finger loops of a flexible material substantially wider than the thickness of the floss, one of the finger loops being secured to each end of the floss for enabling the floss to be readily gripped by the user and drawn between the teeth for cleaning therebetween.

A unit package of a plurality of tooth cleaning appliances of this invention comprises a plurality of appliances,-such as above described, in which the appliances are removably joined together in side-by-side relation so that one appliance at the time may be readily separated from the unit package for use.

As a method of manufacturing a unit package of tooth cleaning appliances, the invention involves feeding a plurality of strands of dental floss between the opposing respective faces of first and second webs of heat sealable plastic film, with the strands extending longitudinally of the webs and spaced substantially at equal intervals from one another transversely of the webs. The first and second webs are intermittently heat sealed together in face-to-face relation and thereby to secure the strands of floss therebetween and to form heat seal areas along the webs with other areas in between'in which the webs are free of one another and a continuous line of weakness is formed in the webs between each of the strands. The webs are transversely severed intermediate the ends of each heat sealed area to provide sheets or sections of 'material'having heat sealed portions at their outer ends. These heat sealed portions of each section are folded on themselves and the outer end of each heat sealed portion is heat sealed to its inner end thereby to form finger loops for the appliances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a unit package of tooth'cleaning appliances of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tooth cleaning appliance removed from the unit package with one end of its cover partially opened to expose a length of dental package of tooth cleaning appliances of this invention is made;

FIG. 7 illustrates apparatus for forming finger loops in a section of the above-said material in accordance with the method of this invention; and

FIG. 8 is'an enlarged vertical section on line 8-8 of FIG. 6.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several view of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring'to the drawings, a unit package of this invention indicated in its entirety at I, of a series of tooth cleaning appliances, each of which is t generally indicated at 3, is illustrated in FIG. 1. The unit package has a plurality of appliances 3 joined together in side-byside relation in such manner as to enable one appliance at a time to be readily removed (torn) from the package for use.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, each appliance 3 comprises a length of dental floss 5 and a pair of finger loops or bands, each indicated at 7, one of these finger loops being secured to each end of floss 5. These finger loops are of a flexible material, such as heat sealable plastic film, and are substantially wider than the thickness of the floss so as to provide a comfortable manner in which to grip the floss without exerting excessive or uncomforatable pressure on the users fingers. Thus the floss may be readily and comfortably gripped by the user and drawn between the teeth for cleaning therebetween. It will be understood that floss 5 between the finger loops is of such length that it may be conveniently manipulated between the teeth. A sanitary cover generally indicated at 9 surrounds and encloses the floss 5 between finger loops 7 for sanitarily protecting the floss prior to use. As shown in FIG. 2, the cover is readily removable from the floss to expose the floss for use. The cover extends between and is joined to the finger loops thereby to seal the floss therewithin. As indicated at 11, a line of weakness is provided at the ends of the cover between the cover and the finger loops to facilitate removal of the cover from the floss.

More particularly, each unit package 1 of appliances 3 is made from a section 13 (see FIG. 6) of material including a first sheet 15 and a second sheet 17 (see FIG. 8) of flexible, heat sealable plastic film with a plurality of individual lengths L of floss 5 disposed between the sheets and extending longitudinally thereof from one end to the other and spaced relative to one another at substantially equal intervals transversely of the sheets. The end portions of the section are heat sealed together in face-to-face relation, as indicated at 19, and the sheets 15 and 17 are free of face-to-face heat seal between the heat sealed end portions, this area free of face-to-face heat sealing being indicated at 21.

Continuous lines of weakness 23 are provided between each of the lengths of floss L in the section to define pieces 25 (see FIG. 4) of the material from which one appliance 3 may be formed. As is shown in FIG. 4, one of these pieces is constituted by first and second strips 27 and 29, respectively, of heat sealable plastic film from sheets 15 and 17, respectively, heat sealed together in face-to-face relation at their ends, as indicated at 19, and-free of face-to-face heat sealing therebetween, as indicated at 21.

At the side edges of section 13, lines of heat seal 31 are formed (see FIG. 8) to join the outer edges of sheets 15 and 17 in such manner as to seal the floss 5 therebetween. Optionally, heat seal lines (not shown) may be provided on each side of each line of weakness 23 to seal each length of floss L between the strips 27 and 29 in such manner as to constitute cover 9. The heat seal areas 19 of a section are each folded on itself and its outer end is heat sealed to its inner end along a heat seal line 33 (see FIG. 1) to form a finger loop 7 in each of the pieces 25 included in the section thereby to form the series of appliances 3 in a unit package 1. A line of weakness 11 is formed in a manner as will appear in the sheets 15 and 17 adjacent the inner ends of each of the-finger loops to facilitate removal of each cover 9 to expose floss 5 prior to use.

A method of this invention for manufacturing unit packages 1 of appliances 3 is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7. More particularly, sections 13 are made by apparatus generally indicated at 35 in FIG. 5, and the finger loops and lines of weakness 11 are formed by apparatus illustrated at 37 in FIG. 7.

Apparatus 35 is shown to comprise a pair of feed rollers 39 for feeding an upper web 41 and a lower web 43 of heat sealable plastic film and a plurality of continuous lengths L of floss 5 to a first heat seal station 45 at which the webs are intermittently heat sealed together in face-to-face relation over areas 47 (see FIG. 6) with the strands disposed therebetween and spaced at substantially equal intervals relative to one another transversely of the webs. Thence, the webs are moved to a second heat seal station 49 at which continuous lines of weakness 23 and seal lines 31 are concurrently formed in the webs, and thence to a cutting station 51 at which the webs and the floss are intermittently severed to form sections 13.

Heat seal station 45 is shown to comprise a bed or fixed lower platen 53 below the webs 41 and 43 and an upper platen 55 intermittently movable between a raised retracted position (shown in FIG. 5) and a lowered sealing position (not shown) in which it presses the webs together to heat seal them over areas 47. Areas 21 free of face-to-face heat seal thus remain between the heat seal areas 47. Platens 53 and 55 are heated to a temperature sufficient to effect heat sealing of the webs together in face-to-face relation when they are moved to their sealing positions. It will be understood that platens 53 and 55 are only illustrative of heat seal means, and that other types of heat seal members may be utilized. For example, heated rollers may be provided intermittently to engage the webs and to heat seal them together in face-to-face relation.

The second heat seal station 49 comprises a backup roll 57 and a series of heated discs 59 mounted on a shaft 61 and spaced above the backup roll. The discs and the backup roll are driven in opposite directions and are held in contact with one another with the webs 41 and 43 therebetween. The discs are heated to a temperature sufficient to effect formation of lines of weakness 23 and heat seal lines 31, and are spaced on shaft 61 so as to form continuous lines of weakness 23 between each length L of floss 5 and to form continuous heat seal lines 31 at the outer edges of webs 41 and 43. Each line of weakness 23 joins the webs 41 and 43 (or sheets 15 and 17) together at the line of weakness and locally weakens the sheets so as to enable an appliance 3 readily to be removed (torn) from the unit package. Heat seal lines 31 are formed at the outer edge of the webs to seal the webs together and to sanitarily enclose the floss 5 within covers 9. Upon removal of an appliance 3 from the unit package along a line of weakness 23, the edges of the cover adjacent the line of weakness are open (or are only partially joined together) such that the cover may be readily removed from the floss.

Cutting station 51 is shown to comprise a cutting bed 63 and a vertically movable blade 65 operable intermittently to cut the webs on a line 67 (see FIG. 6) intermediate the ends of each heat seal area 47 thereby to form sections 13 from which unit packages 1 may be formed.

Each section 13 is then transferred to apparatus 37 (see FIG. 7) at which its free area 21 is placed over a bed plate 69 and its outer ends or heat sealed areas 19 are folded on themselves about mandrels 71 and the outer end of each heat seal area 19 is placed against its inner end. A vertically. movable heat seal head 73 having heat seal bars 75 for forming heat seal lines 33 and heat seal members 77 for forming lines of weakness 11 is lowered into engagement with the section on the lower bed thereby to form heat seal lines 33 and lines of weakness 11 so as to complete the manufacture of unit package 1. The unit package is then removed from apparatus 37. It will be understood that heat seal members 77 form lines of weakness 11 only intermittently across the width of section 13 so as to not damage the strands of floss 5.

To use an appliance 3 of this invention, the user tears one of the appliances from a unit package 1 along one of the lines of weakness 23, grips one of the finger loops 7 in one hand, tears cover 9 along heat seal line 11 and removes the cover therefrom to expose floss 5. Strips 27 and 29 forming the cover are open (or only weakly joined together) along the heat seal lines 23 so as to facilitate removal of the cover. The user than places one of his index fingers in each of the loops and manipulates the floss between his teeth so as to dislodge and clean food particles and plaque therefrom. The finger grips provide a convenient and comfortable manner in which to grip the floss even for inexperi-- enced dental floss users. The predetermined length of floss included between the finger loops is such that the floss is easy to manipulate between the teeth.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained the above description or shown in the accompaying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I

What is claimed is:

1. A tooth cleaning appliance comprising a length of dental floss, a pair of finger loops of flexible material substantially wider than the thickness of said floss, one of said finger loops being secured to each end of the floss for enabling the floss to be readily and comfortably gripped by the user and drawn between the teeth for cleaning therebetween without exerting excessive or uncomfortable pressure on the users fingers, and a sanitary cover of flexible material surrounding and enclosing said length of floss for sanitarily protecting the' floss prior to use, said cover being readily removable from the floss to expose the'floss for use, said cover extending between and being releasably secured to said finger loops thereby to enclose the floss within the cover. I

2. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 wherein a generally transverse line of weakness is provided between each finger loop and said cover'thereby to facilitate removal of the cover from the floss.

3. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 further comprising first and second elongate strips of heat sealable plastic film with a length of said floss therebetween, said filmconstituting said flexible material, the outer end portions of said strips being heat sealed together in face-to-face relation thereby to constitute a heat sealed portion at each end of the strips and to secure said floss therebetween, each said heat sealed portion being folded on itself with its outer end heat sealed to its inner end to form one of said finger loops, said strips being releasably joined together between the finger loops along lines extending longitudinally of the strips of each side of said floss thereby to enclose the floss therewithin thereby to constitute said cover.

4. A cover as set forth in claim 3 wherein a transverse line of weakness is provided in said strips adjacent the inner end of each said heat sealed portion thereby to facilitate removal of the cover from said floss.

5. A unit package of a plurality of tooth cleaning appliances, each appliance comprising a length of dental floss, a pair of finger loops, one at each end of the floss, and a removable sanitary cover surrounding the floss between the finger loops and protecting the floss prior to use, said finger loops and said cover being of flexible material and being substantially of the same width, said appliances being removably joined together in side-byside relation so that one appliance at a time may be readily separated from the unit package for use.

6. A unit package as set forth in claim 1, said appliances in said unit package being joined together in side-by-side relation along lines of weakness between the covers and finger loops of adjacent appliances thereby to facilitate removal of the appliances from the unit package.

7. A unit package as set forth in claim 6 comprising a first and a second sheet of heat sealable plastic film and a plurality of lengths of dental floss disposed between said sheets, said lengths of floss extending longitudinally of the sheets from one end thereof to the other and being transversely spaced at substantially equal intervals from one another, the outer end portions of said sheets being heat sealed together in faceto-face relation thereby to constitute heat sealed portions at each end of the sheets and to secure the outer ends of said lengths of floss between the sheets, said lines of weakness being provided between said lengths of floss, said lines of weakness joining said sheets together between the heat sealed portions thereby to enclose each length of floss between said sheets and thereby to constitute said cover, said sheets being heat sealed together along longitudinal lines of seal adjacent their outer longitudinal edges for sealing the floss therebetween intermediate said heat seal portions, and each said heat sealed portion being folded on itself with its outer end heat sealed to its innerend to constitute said finger loops at one end of the floss.

8. The method of manufacturing a'unit package of tooth cleaning appliances each of which comprises a length of dental floss having a finger loop at each end thereof and a removable, sanitary cover extending between the finger loops and surrounding the floss, said method comprising the steps of:

feeding a plurality of continuous strands of dental floss between opposing respective faces of first and second webs of 'heat sealable plastic film, said strands extending longitudinally of the webs and being spaced substantially at equal intervals from one another transversely of the webs; heat sealing the opposing faces of the first and second webs together in face-to-face relation at spaced intervals along the webs thereby to secure the strands of floss therebetween and to form heat seal areas along the webs with areas in between in which the webs are free of one another;

forming a continuous lines of weakness in the webs between each of said strands;

heat sealing the webs together along longitudinal heat seal lines adjacent each outer margin of the web between the heat seal areas, said seal lines together with said lines of weakness joining the webs together along longitudinal lines on both sides of each of said strands thereby to enclose the floss between the webs in the areas between the heat seal areas and thereby to constitute said covers for each of the appliances;

transversely severing the webs intermediate the ends of each heat seal area to provide sections of matecover from the floss. 

1. A tooth cleaning appliance comprising a length of dental floss, a pair of finger loops of flexible material substantially wider than the thickness of said floss, one of said finger loops being secured to each end of the floss for enabling the floss to be readily and comfortably gripped by the user and drawn between the teeth for cleaning therebetween without exerting excessive or uncomfortable pressure on the user''s fingers, and a sanitary cover of flexible material surrounding and enclosing said length of floss for sanitarily protecting the floss prior to use, said cover being readily removable from the floss to expose the floss for use, said cover extending between and being releasably secured to said finger loops thereby to enclose the floss within the cover.
 2. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 wherein a generally transverse line of weakness is provided between each finger loop and said cover thereby to facilitate removal of the cover from the floss.
 3. An appliance as set forth in claim 1 further comprising first and second elongate strips of heat sealable plastic film with a length of said floss therebetween, said film constituting said flexible material, the outer end portions of said strips being heat sealed together in face-to-face relation thereby to constitute a heat sealed portion at each end of the strips and to secure said floss therebetween, each said heat sealed portion being folded on itself with its outer end heat sealed to its inner end to form one of said finger loops, said strips being releasably joined together between the finger loops along lines extending longitudinally of the strips of each side of said floss thereby to enclose the floss therewithin thereby to constitute said cover.
 4. A cover as set forth in claim 3 wherein a transverse line of weakness is provided in said strips adjacent the inner end of each said heat sealed portion thereby to facilitate removal of the cover from said floss.
 5. A unit package of a plurality of tooth cleaning appliances, each appliance comprising a length of dental floss, a pair of finger loops, one at each end of the floss, and a removable sanitary cover surrounding the floss between the finger loops and protecting the floss prior to use, said finger loops and said cover being of flexible material and being substantially of the same width, said appliances being removably joined together in side-by-side relation so that one appliance at a time may be readily separated from the unit package for use.
 6. A unit package as set forth in claim 5 said appliances in said unit package being joined together in side-by-side relation along lines of weakness between the covers and finger loops of adjacent appliances thereby to facilitate removal of the appliances from the unit package.
 7. A unit package as set forth in claim 6 comprising a first and a second sheet of heat sealable plastic film and a plurality of lengths of dental floss disposed between said sheets, said lengths of floss extending longitudinally of the sheets from one end thereof to the other and being transversely spaced at substantially equal intervals from one another, the outer end portions of said sheets being heat sealed together in face-to-face relation thereby to constitute heat sealed portions at each end of the sheets and to secure the outer ends of said lengths of floss between the sheets, said lines of weakness being provided between said lengths of floss, said lines of weakness joining said sheets together between the heat sealed portions thereby to enclOse each length of floss between said sheets and thereby to constitute said cover, said sheets being heat sealed together along longitudinal lines of seal adjacent their outer longitudinal edges for sealing the floss therebetween intermediate said heat seal portions, and each said heat sealed portion being folded on itself with its outer end heat sealed to its inner end to constitute said finger loops at one end of the floss.
 8. The method of manufacturing a unit package of tooth cleaning appliances each of which comprises a length of dental floss having a finger loop at each end thereof and a removable, sanitary cover extending between the finger loops and surrounding the floss, said method comprising the steps of: feeding a plurality of continuous strands of dental floss between opposing respective faces of first and second webs of heat sealable plastic film, said strands extending longitudinally of the webs and being spaced substantially at equal intervals from one another transversely of the webs; heat sealing the opposing faces of the first and second webs together in face-to-face relation at spaced intervals along the webs thereby to secure the strands of floss therebetween and to form heat seal areas along the webs with areas in between in which the webs are free of one another; forming a continuous lines of weakness in the webs between each of said strands; heat sealing the webs together along longitudinal heat seal lines adjacent each outer margin of the web between the heat seal areas, said seal lines together with said lines of weakness joining the webs together along longitudinal lines on both sides of each of said strands thereby to enclose the floss between the webs in the areas between the heat seal areas and thereby to constitute said covers for each of the appliances; transversely severing the webs intermediate the ends of each heat seal area to provide sections of material having heat seal portions at their outer ends; and folding said heat seal portions of each section on themselves and heat sealing the outer end of each heat seal portion to its inner end thereby to form said finger loops.
 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising forming lines of weakness extending transversely of the webs at each end of the areas free of heat sealing, said transverse lines of heat sealing enabling removal of said cover from the floss. 